“It’s costing more for them to process, and they in turn charge that over to the person providing it, which is the city,” said West University City Manager Dave Beach. “Realistically what it will mean is we might have pay more each month to process that recycling.”

Sugar Land officials have begun efforts to educate the public about the changing marketplace.

“At this point, the city’s recycling program and associated costs have not changed as a result of the recent recycling market. However, an increase in cost may occur in the future," said Doug Adolph, public information officer for the City of Sugar Land. "We will utilize the feedback received through this education process to determine how the city’s recycling program will proceed in the future."

Michael Leech, Director of Public Works for the City of Bellaire, recommends residents do their part to keep processing costs down.

“Residents can continue to improve the quality of the material they recycle, which keeps costs as low as they can be. This can be done by cleaning cans, bottles, boxes of food or other debris, and by putting only recyclable material in the recycling container for pickup,” said Leech.